


Five ways Castle and Beckett didn't meet (and one they did)

by agirlnamedfia



Series: Five Ways [1]
Category: Castle
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - Space, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternative Universe - FBI, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-10
Updated: 2013-08-10
Packaged: 2017-12-23 01:03:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/920155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agirlnamedfia/pseuds/agirlnamedfia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pretty much what it says on the tin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five ways Castle and Beckett didn't meet (and one they did)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ghostofasmile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostofasmile/gifts).



> Written for Lena because she deserves all manner of awesome Castle plots and I couldn't choose. :)

**One.**

Kate loves opening shifts. 

She loves the slightly-less-crazy rush of public transport after the morning commuters have gone; she loves having a key to the bar and being able to let herself in with no fuss. She loves the peace and quiet, setting up for the day with her own music playing over the sound system while she goes over the stock and makes a list of what needs to be ordered.

She loves the bar itself too, has since she first stepped foot in it years ago, wandering around her neighbourhood trying to find a job. Gates had taken one look at her and pursed her lips.

"You don't look a day over 18, Miss Beckett," she'd said, skimming over Kate's painfully short résumé. 

"18 is the legal minimum serving age, isn't it?" Kate had returned, probably snappier than strictly advisable.

"Bartending isn't as easy and fun as the movies make it seem. It's hard work and it won't always be easy." 

Kate had only just refrained from rolling her eyes. "I can take care of myself."

The corners of Gates' mouth had twitched briefly, almost but not quite a smile, and she'd beckoned one of the guys working the bar over. "Ryan, see that Miss Beckett gets the proper paperwork, will you?"

Four years later, Kate's two semesters away from getting a degree in criminology and Gates has long since left most of the managing to her. The schedule, amongst other things, is her responsibility now, and if she occasionally distributes more opening shifts to herself, well. Nobody has to know, and everyone hates them anyway.

 

**Two.**

It's not that Kate doesn't like Ricki. She brings a different perspective to the cases and as ridiculous has her story-based approach is, there's no denying that sometimes it helps. Kate can admit that Ricki's useful. Grudgingly and only to herself or in the extreme to Esposito and Ryan, but she can admit it. Ricki's not a bad asset and Kate doesn't _not_ like her.

It's just that when Captain Montgomery calls her into his office with that distinctive frown on his face, Kate anticipates being reprimanded for being too rough with a suspect or chewed out for not having filled out her share of the paperwork, _again_.

The last thing she expects is for her (kind of but don't tell anyone. No, seriously, don't.) favourite author to walk into the office. All six feet of Ricki Castle, legs-for-miles and dressed in a pantsuit that fits her so well, it looks like it was made especially for her. Knowing her, it probably was.

Montgomery frowns even more when he explains the situation. How the arrangement will work, how Ricki weaselled her way into the precinct and how his hands are completely tied.

"It's a good thing for the precinct, Beckett," he says once Ricki's been banished to the bullpen again. "Goodwill from the mayor and more public attention means more funds and we need that money. And besides, Ricki Castle? You can't buy that kind of publicity."

Kate puts up a token protest but it's no use and she knows it. Slowly but surely, she feels dread sinking into her gut, but she sighs and nods the assent and signs the papers. 

"So," Ricki smirks widely when Kate gets back to her desk. "What do you guys do for fun around here?"

 

**Three.**

_The Precinct_ is an odd name for a vampire bar, but then, Kate Beckett isn't your typical Sheriff. 

She's too young, some claim, not even 200 years old. But lately too many uppity southern Sheriffs have gone and rebelled against a King or Queen younger and thus less powerful. It doesn't seem like a bad idea to make sure Sheriffs are subordinate to their Royal bosses in every way and Kate Beckett is hardly the only young vampire made Sheriff. Hell, she's not even the only young vampire made Sheriff in NYC.

She was made by the King, some say, it's favouritism for a King to put his child in such an important position. And yeah, maybe it is favouritism, who knows? But Kate is loyal, and more importantly, she might have gotten the job because she's progeny of the King but she kept it because she's good at it. Smart and capable; ruthless and fair; and gorgeous to boot. 

And there's not much people can find to criticize on that.

Still, _The Precinct_ remains a sore spot for NYPD. It's not ideal for a business to be on the NYPD's shitlist before it even opens, but Kate refuses to change the name. She works around it. She befriends or allies herself with people in law enforcement and City Hall. There are many humans in the judicial and governmental branches who owe her or who look out for her interests and have helped her out of a tight spot in the past. In return she looks out for them. There are a lot of things vampires can do that humans can't, after all.

But more than that, Kate makes sure that her bar is always on the up-and-up. All her permits are valid, all her staff is of age and legally employed. She pays her taxes, she does the books, she doesn't serve minors and most importantly, she never allows her employees to drink from the customers. Not even when it's consensual.

Which is why, when the tiny, obviously underage redhead with skin so pale it's almost translucent walks into her bar, Kate takes a personal interest.

 

**Four.**

The kidnappings are the worst cases. They make something itch under Kate's skin, a desperate need to be out in the field, hunting for new leads and suspects. It makes her long back to the days at the 12th precinct, when she made the decisions and ran the show. 

She doesn't run the show at the FBI, that's for sure. But technically, she's still out with a severely sprained ankle and her supervisor let her come in for desk duty even though she's hobbling around with a cane, so that's something to be grateful for.

Except then they a call had come in, a kidnapping. Now half the team is in the field and the other half is working feverishly from the office, while Kate is stuck wandering around, watching a distraught Richard Castle sit in a painfully bland room visibly trying to hold himself together.

He looks up hopefully when she comes in. "Is there any—"

"No," Kate replies immediately, gently, "I haven't heard anything yet, I'm sorry." She pauses. "Mr. Castle, we're going to do everything possible to find Alexis, I promise you that." She's long since learned not to promise that they will get their children back, and from the look on her face, he's picked up on that nuance.

"Thanks."

"Is there anything I can get you? Anybody you need to call or anything you need?"

He rubs his hand over his face. "I could do without the babysitter." Kate raises an eyebrow and he deflates. "I'm sorry, that was—I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she replies. "I know how hard it can be on that side of the law." 

Castle smiles humourlessly. "Thank you for offering, but unless you can bring me my daughter back, there's nothing I really want."

She's almost at the door when he speaks up again, more like a mumble that she's probably not even supposed to hear. "Although, I could use a distraction."

Kate studies him carefully from the doorway. It only takes her a second to make the decision. "Come on," she says, eventually. "I'm sure we'll find something."

 

**Five.**

Her guests are much less of a hassle than Kate was expecting, and she's not sure how she feels about it.

No, that's a lie. She knows exactly how she feels about it. Conflicted. There are too many variables, too many unknown factors and far too many ways this situation could blow up in her face. 

_Precinct_ is a small but solid ship, well maintained and used to the hitches, hazards and hardships of outer space. She's served Kate and her crew (all of two guys) well and it's hardly the first time she's taken travellers with her on a run. It's an easy way to make extra cash: pick up a few people from the departure point and get paid to drop them off at the planet you were visiting anyway. There's always people going places, after all.

But this time, it's different. She's not sure why, because a young girl, an older lady and a middle-aged man hardly make the most ominous passengers. Except they carry a lot more baggage than what they brought in their suitcases, she can tell from their faces alone. Except her gut is telling her something is off about the group. They're not criminals, she's pretty sure they're not even dangerous in the literal sense. But there's something… off.

Except that she's one hundred percent sure they're _lying_. And she took them on the ship anyway.

 

**\+ One.**

She says no.

Of course she says no, it's too much, too soon. Too symbolic and way too much pressure, on either of them. They're not ready to be married; they've barely been tiptoeing around a serious relationship, what with needing to keep it under wraps at the precinct. Marrying him would end up a disaster for both of them, and she loves him too much to let that happen.

She explains all of those things, but his face still crumples.

"Castle, you know we can't. We're not ready for this, I'm not ready." She tries to take his hand, but he pulls away. "Castle…" She stares at his back the entire time he walks away, but he doesn't turn around.

It's the last she sees of him in eight months.


End file.
